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Living Well Mom

I help moms with simple, natural ways to look after their families. Find recipes, fun stuff for kids, and simple DIY ideas. Plus natural solutions made easy peasy!

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Easy Gluten-Free Playdough in Less Than 5 Minutes

By Erika in Activities for Kids

gluten-free playdoughThis post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Do you have kids that are gluten-free or do you just want to make a playdough recipe that is safe for the whole family? If so, this gluten-free playdough is the perfect DIY to tackle!

Plus, I’ll even show you how we use this playdough at home in tandem with playdough mats to make learning fun.

image of homemade orange gluten-free playdough this idea now...

If you are anything like me, you are probably tired of buying playdough that is full of chemicals and colors and are looking for a natural solution. Luckily, this is it!

In this blog post I’ll be sharing how to make a gluten-free playdough recipe using completely natural ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry.

A stack of DIY play-doh in rainbow colors

DIY Gluten-Free Playdough

One of my favorite kids’ activities is making homemade playdough. And clearly, you all agree because my Easy Homemade Playdough recipe is still the most popular post here at Living Well Mom!

I’ve been making that recipe for years of fun with my kids and using it in tandem with printable playdough mats. It never gets old!

4 printable play dough mats

But since our whole family went on a gluten-free diet last summer, I decided to come up with a gluten-free playdough recipe. Even though my kids don’t have celiac and I’m not too concerned about them handling a little playdough with regular ol’ flour, I just feel funny about keeping all-purpose flour in the house when we don’t use it for anything else.

A couple months ago, I started experimenting with making a gluten-free playdough recipe. I tried some variations of my own classic recipe with salt and cream of tartar and then quite a few completely different versions.

I’m not a big fan of the two-ingredient corn starch and conditioner playdough recipe. Since it requires having an extra bottle of conditioner in the house and we use an all-natural conditioner, it’s more expensive and not something I’m willing to use on playdough. So that was out.

I finally settled on this simple 4-ingredient version of Gluten-Free Playdough. While I stumbled on this combination myself, when I googled it, I discovered this was actually a pretty common recipe so it’s not unique to me.

gluten-free playdough in rainbow colored balls

But anyways, this is our favorite gluten-free playdough recipe. I love that it’s so simple to make, it takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish (just like the original homemade playdough recipe) and the ingredients are common and inexpensive.

Easy Gluten-Free Playdough Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for gluten free play dough including baking soda, corn starch and food coloring.

Ingredients:
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup corn starch
3/4 cup water
food coloring

I highly recommend Chefmaster food color to get the vivid colors you see in these pictures. A few drops of color goes a long way and kids will adore making the colors of the rainbow or their favorite combinations!

Step by Step Directions

Making this GF playdough is so simple! First, add the baking soda and corn starch to a 2-quart saucepan and mix together with a spoon. Kids can help with this part.

Baking soda and corn starch being mixed in a stainless steel pan

Then, turn the heat to medium, then add the water.

Adding a measuring cup of water to homemade play dough mixture
Blue food coloring drops in DIY play dough recipe

Add a few drops of food color.

Stir well to break up any lumps. Don’t worry about it too much though; you’ll get it all mixed together eventually.

Gluten-free playdough ingredients being combined with a black mixing spoon

Cook and stir constantly until the playdough starts to become a little more solid. This should take less than 5 minutes.

Usually, subsequent batches come together much quicker because the pan and burner are already warm so just keep an eye on things.

Blue coloring, cornstarch, baking soda and water mixture in a sauce pan

It should come together quickly after that. Continue stirring.

Play-doh thickening while being stirred over heat

Once the playdough starts to ball around the spoon, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir until it’s all pretty much clumped together.

DIY play dough recipe process
Homemade dough balling around a mixing spoon while being stirred on the stovetop

Then remove the gluten-free playdough onto a solid surface. It will still look a little lumpy and unfinished; that’s okay.

A lump of blue play-doh on a silicone baking sheet

Let it cool for a minute, then knead it together. You’ll see the imperfections quickly smooth out.

A woman squishing a ball of homemade playdough

Now, you’ll suddenly have a beautiful ball of playdough!

Recipe for gluten-free play dough

That’s all you have to do to make your very own homemade gluten-free playdough!

A girl cupping a large ball of orange dough in her hands

Pair with Playdough Mats

Making the playdough is the easy part. What’s more challenging is trying to figure out how the kids can play with it for longer than give minutes! Because let’s face it – most of us don’t schedule out a playdough day with our kids.

We usually end up searching for an activity to keep them busy and would rather use ingredients we already have on hand, than add one more thing to our busy days by dragging everyone out to the store. Am I right?

A young boy pressing playdough on top of a printable activity mat

On those days, you’ll want to be prepared way ahead of time with a fun way to use your newly formed playdough. My favorite? Playdough mats!

watermelon summer inspired play-doh activity mat
seashell themed printable activity mat

With these mats, you can combine play and learning. Keep those little minds and hands busy by following the activities on these seasonal playdough mats.

There are 28 different mats included in this bundle, so plenty of opportunities for your kids to be entertained!

orange balls of playdough being added as pumpkins on activity mat
winter snowflake printable play dough mat

You can simply print them off and give them to your children, or if you want to reuse them over and over you can print and laminate them (my preferred method).

FAQs About This Playdough

Does this feel the same as the store bought playdough?

This gluten-free playdough has a softer, different consistency than regular playdough. My kids said they actually prefer this kind because “it’s more fun.” (I’m not sure how that’s possible, but as long as they’re happy with it, I’m good with it too!).

an apple tree playdough activity

Just like the store brand, this gluten-free playdough is fun to pinch, pull, roll, mash…all the good stuff. See why those playdough mats come in handy? 😉

How much playdough does this recipe make?

One batch makes one ball of color that you see in the photos. It’s probably equivalent to 2 containers of store-bought playdough

6 colored balls of homemade play dough

Help! My playdough turned all hard and crumbly.

Don’t panic! Gluten-free playdough dries out faster than the regular version. If your kids leave it on the table and run off, it will probably end up crumbling and they’ll be worried their playdough is ruined. You can revive dried-out, crumbled playdough by heating it back up over med-low heat and stirring in a tablespoon or so of water. We’ve saved quite a few batches by doing this.

I’ve also noticed that the playdough seems to harden in colder temperatures. When I took some of these photos near a chilly window, the playdough really solidified. Again, we revived it with water and a little heat. It must be something to do with the combination of corn starch and baking soda. Any chemists out there have an idea?

purple play-doh making petals of a flower

How should I store homemade playdough?

Store in a tightly sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator. (Our original batch turned moldy after two weeks in the pantry.)

All-in-all, I still prefer the regular version of playdough as it’s less prone to drying out and hardening, but if your kids are sensitive to gluten or you simply don’t have the cream of tartar or some other ingredient the original recipe calls for, this is a fantastic gluten-free playdough recipe, especially when paired with these seasonal playdough mats!

More Kids’ Activities:

  • 2-Ingredient Edible Finger Paint
  • Spring Garden Matching Game
  • How to Make Painted Pet Rocks
  • Make Homemade Bubbles (easy + Strong!)

Just pin it below to find the instructions later!

pinterest image for gluten-free playdough easy recipe

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    Filed Under: Activities for Kids, Playdough and Slime Tagged With: gluten-free, playdoughPublished on September 16, 2021

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    About Erika

    Erika Bragdon is a flower essence practitioner and a second-generation homeschooling mom with 3 kids at home and 1 in college. She enjoys her chickens, goats, and gardening on a small farm in New Hampshire, and is passionate about sharing flower essences and more ways to renew body, mind, and soul with moms.

    Comments

    1. Scott says

      January 26, 2016 at 9:57 pm

      I’m one of those people also who don’t like the consistency of regular Play-doh. Something about the way it tears bothers me.

      Reply
    2. valmg @ Mom Knows It All says

      January 27, 2016 at 6:50 am

      My kids both used to enjoy playing with Playdoh. You did a great job on the colors!

      Reply
    3. Ellen Christian says

      January 27, 2016 at 7:11 am

      I love the vibrant colors you got. The kids look like they’re having a great time.

      Reply
    4. Jennifer says

      January 27, 2016 at 8:40 am

      That is so great! It makes so much more sense to make your own playdough instead of buying it. That stuff is expensive!

      Reply
      • Erika says

        January 27, 2016 at 5:15 pm

        It is expensive, especially when kids often leave it sitting out to dry and crumble!

        Reply
        • emma says

          September 5, 2018 at 12:10 pm

          Hi Erika,
          Great recipe!
          This is probably a silly question bur is it safe to eat if it gets in children’s mouths?
          Thanks
          Emma

          Reply
          • Erika says

            September 7, 2018 at 10:58 am

            Hi Emma, not a silly question at all! 🙂 It’s very salty as you can tell from the ingredients so I doubt a child would want to continue eating after they have a taste. However, that being said, the ingredients are non-toxic so it shouldn’t pose a problem. Unless perhaps they try to eat all of it and the high quantity of salt could cause an imbalance?

            Reply
            • Marisa says

              October 29, 2018 at 11:11 am

              Is this recipe supposed to have salt in it? Your reply to another poster mentions “very salty” and “high quantity of salt” and I just want to make sure I’m not missing something in the ingredient list. I plan to make this very soon for my celiac-kiddo!

              Reply
              • Erika says

                November 6, 2018 at 11:32 am

                No, it’s not. Thanks for pointing that out. I have another non-gluten-free playdough recipe that uses a lot of salt and I was thinking of that one in my response to the other comment. Good checking!

                Reply
              • Tatiana says

                October 7, 2020 at 4:51 am

                Baking Soda is naturally very salty

                Reply
                • Jacki says

                  November 6, 2020 at 4:17 pm

                  To be clear, baking soda is high in sodium but not technically in salt (which is sodium chloride). Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate.
                  It’s also actually a very weak base. (Opposite of an acid, if that helps.)

                  Reply
    5. Greta Brinkley says

      January 27, 2016 at 7:00 pm

      I love the colors that your have – they are really fresh and bright. Is there any issue with the food coloring staining?

      Reply
      • Erika says

        January 27, 2016 at 7:05 pm

        No, we didn’t have any staining. Of course it depends on how much coloring is added. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Janis says

      February 21, 2016 at 9:37 am

      My son has celiac he’s a grown man though but this gluten free recipe would great for kids with celiac disease

      A loving grandma

      Reply
    7. BLAH says

      November 8, 2016 at 5:16 pm

      THIS SO GREAT MY DAUGHTER LOVES MAKING IT 4 HER FRIENDS

      Reply
    8. Lindsey says

      January 5, 2017 at 2:39 pm

      Our is very sticky. Is that normal? What do I need to do differently? We love it tho they all the stickyness

      Reply
      • Erika says

        January 5, 2017 at 4:08 pm

        It shouldn’t be very sticky. Usually stickiness means it hasn’t been cooked long enough. You could try heating it up again, though I’m not sure how well it would work after the fact.
        Good luck!

        Reply
      • Kimi says

        February 2, 2018 at 1:01 pm

        mine too!!! soooooo sticky, kids wouldn’t even play with it. I added some corn flour, which helped, but I still think the corn flour recipe works better, at least for me 🙂 Thanks for the recipe tho! Still trying to tweak it…..
        *I cooked it for quite awhile

        Reply
        • Erika says

          February 7, 2018 at 6:47 pm

          Hmm that’s a bummer it didn’t work for you, Kimi. What kind of flour blend did you use originally? Sometimes the brand makes a difference.

          Reply
    9. Jamey says

      June 19, 2017 at 4:42 pm

      I just made it and it turned out perfect! My 3 year old son has celiac and I haven’t let him play with playdogugh much because somehow it always ends up in his mouth! Thanks for the recipe and tips!

      Reply
    10. Ali says

      February 15, 2018 at 5:16 pm

      I love this recipe! Every few years I have preschool students with severe food allergies and I’ve tried quite a few GF play dough recipes. This is my favorite because it is fast, simple and has minimal food ingredients, making it great for children with multiple food allergies. We’ve had success adding glitter and extracts to make it scented.

      Reply
      • Jacky Esteron says

        June 1, 2021 at 6:54 pm

        Hi,
        I tried out the recipe and i loved it. Even when i cut them down in to smaller batches, the consistency remains the same. I like the texture, softer than store bought. I just have a question…how did you end up with a nice purple color? Mine turned dark very dark that is. And how long did it last inside a tightly closed container in the fridge. Thanks a lot. Take care always.

        Reply
        • Erika says

          June 3, 2021 at 10:57 am

          Hi Jacky, some purples turn out oddly. I would suggest trying a different shade of food coloring (and the gel works best.)
          You do not have to store in the fridge. Store in a sealed container or ziploc bag and it should last for months. Just make sure it’s 100% cooled before sealing.

          Reply
    11. Aileen says

      September 14, 2018 at 6:30 pm

      Thank you for your recipe! I just made it for my child’s K classroom.
      Was just wondering if you have ever put a bit of baby oil to make it stick less and dry out longer?

      Reply
      • Erika says

        September 18, 2018 at 9:22 am

        I have not tried baby oil before but that’s a good idea for this gluten-free playdough.

        Reply
    12. Lindsay says

      November 19, 2018 at 10:34 am

      Do you have any idea if this would hold together if baked lightly? I need a craft project for an upcoming birthday party. It would be nice if the kids could bring home their creations.

      Reply
      • Erika says

        November 26, 2018 at 8:09 am

        Hi Lindsay, this probably wouldn’t work well for baked crafts. I have a salt dough recipe that would work better – https://livingwellmom.com/glitter-salt-dough-snowflakes/

        Reply
    13. Corrie says

      January 12, 2019 at 12:17 am

      How long was this good for in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Erika says

        January 16, 2019 at 10:55 am

        About 2-3 weeks.

        Reply
    14. Sarah says

      May 20, 2019 at 6:43 pm

      Just made 3 perfect batches for my celiac girl! We love it! Added in a few drops of lavender pure essential oil and it smells like heaven!
      Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Erika says

        May 30, 2019 at 10:01 am

        I’m so glad you both loved it! Thanks for telling me, Sarah! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Sue says

      September 10, 2019 at 7:14 pm

      I made this play dough in wonderful colors in order to work with children who are Gluten Free. I followed the recipe very carefully as I am a good cook. It seemed to be amazing. However when we played with it it stuck to EVERYTHING – even fingers. It crumbled onto the carpet in the agency room we used. I had to vacuum, then scrape the rug, then vacuum again. The children’s hands were stained- I used icing quality food coloring. After this fiasco I promptly threw it all away. Unfortunate that I spent so much time with this.

      Reply
      • Erika says

        September 12, 2019 at 9:24 am

        How frustrating. I’m sorry it didn’t work out, Sue. If it’s sticky, that usually means it needs to be cooked a little longer. The gluten-free version is more finicky than my regular recipe. Sorry you had a bad experience.

        Reply
    16. Nicole says

      January 13, 2020 at 12:54 pm

      I work at a before and after school program. I love this recipe and it always turns out great! Its perfect too because my coworker is allergic to gluten. However i am always making it at home and would love to make it in the classroom with my kids. Do you think this recipe would work if i use boiled water?

      Reply
      • Erika says

        January 14, 2020 at 11:29 am

        Hi Nicole, I don’t think it would. I would be afraid it still wouldn’t give the flour enough time to thicken up properly and you’d end up with a sticky blobby mess. Sorry! If I do hear of an in-classroom way to make it, I’ll reply and let you know.

        Reply
    17. Lindsey says

      September 5, 2020 at 10:24 am

      Do you think your regular recipe would work with gluten free flour??

      Reply
      • Erika says

        September 8, 2020 at 10:13 am

        Not quite. I’ve tried it. I ended up having to tweak it and shared my gluten-free playdough recipe here:https://livingwellmom.com/easy-gluten-free-playdough/
        It’s not quite as durable, long-lasting, or nice as the main playdough recipe here so if you CAN use regular flour and you/your kiddos aren’t allergic to gluten, I would recommend that. But the gluten-free recipe does work and is a nice recipe when no-gluten is a requirement.

        Reply
    18. Darci says

      February 1, 2021 at 3:56 pm

      Shoot! I wanted this to work so bad! It looked beautiful but stuck sooo bad.i watched the cook time carefully after reading comments too.. Going to try it again as the texture was amazing

      Reply
    19. Darci says

      February 1, 2021 at 7:37 pm

      So we tried this and at first it was waaaaaya too sticky. I added about 1/2 TBSP vegetable oil to it and it came together perfectly!! This dough has amazing texture. My kids enjoyed it so much. A few drops of essential oil and we were good to go!

      Reply

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